In many cases, the end of the year gives you time to step back and take stock of the last 12 months. This is when many of us take a hard look at what worked and what did not, complete performance reviews, and formulate plans for the coming year. For me, it is all of those things plus a time when I u...

SAN DIEGO and RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MedVantx, Inc. and McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc. today announced they have entered into a multi-year agreement to co-promote MedStart Connect™. McKesson Medical-Surgical will promote the MedVantx MedStart Connect program to its healthcare provider customers on an exclusive basis. McKesson is a leading distributor of medical supplies and equipment to physician practices, surgery centers, home care and extended care facilities.

"We are in business for better health, and we see MedStart Connect as a solution to deliver on this promise," said Joan Eliasek, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Supplier Management, McKesson Medical-Surgical. "Our relationship with MedVantx through MedStart Connect will allow us to offer a new technology and service that is valuable both to providers and to patients, while enhancing our sales team's role as a trusted physician resource in this evolving healthcare environment."

MedVantx pioneered the first ever controlled access to generic sample medications in US physician offices through its proprietary automated "ATM-like" medication management system, the MedStart™ cabinet. MedStart™ automates the traditional pharmaceutical sampling process for physicians and can capture physician sampling data in the patients' prescription record. With the integrated MedStart Connect program, patients managing complex and chronic conditions can receive generic, brand, and OTC samples addressing a wide variety of conditions as part of their physician office visit. Since studies show that up to 50% of prescriptions are never filled, ensuring patients leave with medication in hand is the first step to making sure patients are adherent to their medication. The MedStart Connect program also offers patient outreach adherence calls, and convenient prescription home delivery to support continuing medication adherence. The impact of medication non-adherence is estimated to contribute nearly $300 billion in healthcare costs, or 13% of total expenditures, and is a key focus of many healthcare reform models, including ACOs and PCMHs.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with one of the nation's largest and most progressive healthcare technology and service companies" said Rob Feeney, CEO of MedVantx. "We have seen tremendous acceptance of our program by physicians, and this relationship represents an opportunity to catapult us to the next level, to reach an even greater number of providers and patients who can benefit from our solution."

McKesson Medical-Surgical and MedVantx will launch MedStart Connect in the next few months in physician offices across several states, including California, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The companies also plan to collaborate to offer the MedStart Connect program in other provider settings, such as integrated delivery networks and workplace health centers.

About MedVantx, Inc. MedVantx is an innovative medication management and delivery company committed to streamlining access, reducing costs and providing helpful information to benefit patients, physicians, health plans, employers and manufacturers. The MedStart Connect program provides for a fully-automated, integrated, point-of-care to consumer home delivery channel focused on increasing the quality and cost effectiveness of the last non-managed pharmaceutical channel – the physician office sample closet. MedStart Connect includes free initial therapy samples of prescription and over-the-counter medication at the point of care, a consumer helpline providing drug information, adherence management services, and convenient consumer home delivery through its mail order pharmacy.

About McKesson Medical-SurgicalMcKesson Medical-Surgical Inc., with offices in Richmond, Va., and McKesson Medical-Surgical Minnesota Supply Inc., in Golden Valley, Minn., are affiliates of McKesson Corporation. McKesson, currently ranked 14th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.

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